You are a Magical Girl, and you're being asked to make a choice. One that's...well, you won't say it's the biggest one that you're being asked to make, so far, but it kind of up there. You're not sure if a bigger, more important one will come along in the future.

Do you cut your losses now and go home, or risk everything to go for the last fragment of your haunted, broken friend?

You've gathered three of her so far, each one found with a lot of running, a lot of fighting, and a lot of shouting. You've dodged death more times here than you've ever had in your entire pathetic career as a Callidus. You're not sure if you've got enough luck left to dodge more.

But then again, you didn't exactly luck out, did you? You've managed to calm down an insane, tearful Witch from tearing everything apart in a tantrum. You've managed to bring an armored berserker out of her rage while she had you at bladepoint, with the rest of your allies dying or unconscious in the mud. You've slapped a bloodthirsty maniac armed with gigantic chainaxes into seeing sense - for what could be the first time in her life (and that was quite satisfying to do, if you'll be fair to yourself).

Three fragments. You've been told by a Culexus - who should, by all rights, be long dead - that three would be enough to bring your sempai back into relative sanity. Out of this nightmare. Out this this nested barrier that you've grown not only to hate and despise, but also to pity. No twisted landscape formed out of a ruined Magical Girl's hopes and dreams, this was a graveyard of memories, of hope desperately clung to before being torn away by bloody claws.

Of course, leaving with all three...that means leaving behind not only the Culexus, who seems to be cheerfully resigned to her fate, but also your friend, Mirai Wakaba. A friend that you've thought had Witched Out - but she was still here, still whole. At least, that's what she tells you.

"Come on, Hanegawa." Malal says to you. "Decide. This shouldn't be that hard of a choice."

[]Three fragments are enough. Let's get out of here.[]We're finding all of them, including the crazy one.

Now, how do we talk an insane, homicidal, and just-shy-of-witching-out despairing meguca into not killing her other selves and to cease to exist?

Pinky hinted that she may have seen her pure self in this barrier somewhere. If that wasn't a familiar created to torment Madoka, she may be key to persuading RibbonHomu to not go apeshit and try to kill everyone.

We might want to think of a way to talk ribbonhomu down. Wanting to save them all is well and good, but if things go south and she starts gunning down fragments, we'll have even less than we started with. I'm kind of worried that escaping with only one or two fragments will give us braindamage homu.

There's also the question of what each of these fragments would contribute to the reconstitution of Chiaki. Memories? Personality changes? Nobody knows, or claims to know.

Malal hasn't explained how she knows all of this either, or what she has to gain from the merging of the Homus. We've trusted her because we really don't have any choice, but she may still have potentially ominous ulterior motives.

You didn't even need to think about it. You're going to find the last one and bring her back along with the other three, no mater where it takes. Sure, it's a safe bet, but...without every single one, it just won't be your sempai, anymore. All her parts need to be there, even the ones that make you want to slap her sometimes.

"You...you're not really smart, are you?" Malal says after a moment, but the smile is evident in her words, even as the ruined vox of her skulled helm steals all warmth from her voice. "Then again, we're not meant to be smart, aides like us. We're supposed to be there for them when they need us the most. Smarts never really figure into it." She looks down at the hat in her gloved hands, turning it around. "We're not supposed to abandon them even when common sense tells us to. It's just that simple."

She turns back to you in a slow nod. "We'll set out as soon as the rain stops. I know where the last one is." The Culexus glances at the broken fragment standing guard at the entrance of the ramen restaurant.

"If my suspicions are correct, we'll have a horde waiting for us. It's a good thing you managed to calm that one down enough to see reason - she'll be key in getting us a clear shot at the fourth without too many casualties."

A horde...? She means familiars, right?

"...Maybe. Who knows." A chuckling sound, rasping and bitter, erupts from the depth of her helmet. "It's going to be a bloodbath, but maybe you'll get the good ending you want."

How do you respond? The rain seems to be ebbing for now, but it'll be a while until you can go. You can ask a few more questions, or try and get some rest before you set out.

[]Ask about something else.[]Rest. Get as much as you can. You'll need it.

How can we get the fourth fragment to merge with the others if she doesn't want to co-operate? Do we just knock her out and have the other three pick up the slack, or something?

Also, would it be a good idea to convince the three fragments that merging together would be the best idea here before we set out for the fourth fragment? If worse comes to worse, we may have to make do with a 75% clear.

I like this, but I would also like to ask Malal about, well, how she got here. Mirai is fairly obvious, but Malal is still a mystery.

Also, thank her for her help and ask her why she's going through all this trouble for Murderface, that she would stand up to Kharn on her behalf. I mean, we know why Midori is doing all this, but what spurred Malal into action anyway?

Can we avoid the horde? Distract it? Deceive it? Misdirect it? Turn the elements or the ever-shaping nature of the barrier against it? If all this fragment knows is violence, I don't think more violence is going to make it less crazy.

>>22906810>>22906903This. Actually fighting the fragment -- let alone a horde -- is not what we want to do if we can help it. We've only survived this long by being a complete OCP to all the powerful entities we've faced (Madoka: hug+acceptance, Armordoka: hug+hope, Kharn: slap+guilt).

Murderous!Homu's expecting -- and gunning for -- a head-on confrontation. We, therefore, should be gunning for something else. If at all possible, we need to make her play *our* game. Calvinball?

>>22907303>actually putting an email address in the email fieldI, uh. I hope you weren't too attached to that e-mail account. This quest gets reliably publicly archived, you know.

The question seems to fall on deaf ears as the Culexus continues to examine the hat in her hands, gloved fingertips tracing the gold-thread braid at the rim. As if trying to memorize the entire thing down to its tiniest detail by mere touch alone, for fear of forgetting them once she'd let go of it.

You make to ask the question again, but she replies before you could speak.

"Once." Malal replies, not looking up from the hat. The confirmation making your heart skip a single beat. You keep quiet, hoping that your silence would be enough of a request for her to continue.

The contemplative Culexus seems to catch on easily enough. "I wouldn't call it much of a meeting, anyway. But I was there, along with Kharn and Murderface. I was treating them to some after-work ramen. We were all sitting here, at the counter." She taps a gloved hand on the wooden countertop. "You were helping your father with the tail end of his shift. Kharn was making a racket, as usual, and Murderface was keeping to herself." Another chuckling sound. "You couldn't keep your eyes off of her no matter what you tried. Your father had to pull you to the side to talk to you, get you to focus."

"Don't feel bad. That happens whenever you meet a Culexus the first time. Sometimes your mind glosses over it, erasing us from the background. Not your fault, and certainly not intentional on our end. It's just one of those things." She shrugs. "Never met you after that."

"She showed it to you, didn't she? That should be enough. Any way, it's not my place to talk about it." A seemingly uncomfortable clearing of the throat. "If you want to get her out of this too, then you've got your work cut out for you. All I'm hoping for is getting those two idiots out of here before too long." Malal shakes her head. "Being in a barrier for far too long tends to do nasty things to your perception."

She turns away from you, placing the hat back on the counter, and resumes her repairs on her suit.

It seems like it's time to leave the Culexus alone. You do so, questions still unanswered, but nonetheless unforgotten.

You make your way quietly back to the three sleeping girls - Mirai now all but curled around the fragment that most closely resembled your sempai, one arm resting across Chiaki's waist in an almost possessive hug. Homura is hugging Chiaki's arm to her, seemingly for warmth, face buried in the other girl's shoulder.

It's almost cute, if you try to forget about the current circumstances.

You sink down into a nearby chair, leaning your tired frame against the back rest. You might as well get as much rest as you can, and something tells you that this could be the last chance to do so.

It's fine, you think to yourself. Just as long as you can save everyone. You won't mind.

You wake up without any memory of falling asleep - and strangely enough, you're moving. Or rather, being carried by someone moving. Someone who smells faintly of whisky, and fire, and hate, and blood.

You open your eyes after rubbing out the grit that had gathered in the corners, and manage to get your bearings after a few moments.

You're...being carried by Chiaki. While you were sleeping, she'd picked you up and hauled you onto her back, piggyback style. Even when you were a couple of inches taller than her, and...well, just a bit heavier (although you'll be quick to correct anyone who implies anything bad that it's just because you've a healthier diet than cigarettes and whisky).

The restaurant seems to have been left far, far behind you. You seem to also be heading towards the outskirts of the city, from the looks of things. Your hastily-assembled party traversing the empty highway on foot, with you at the center. The armored fragment is at point, each footstep clanking heavy with armor. Malal and Mirai on either side of you, the former twirling a crowbar absent-mindedly with one hand, the other resting her silver broadsword on her shoulder. Homura, grasping a shotgun, is bringing up the rear, and she brightens up considerably as she notices you looking at her.

"A-ah, you're awake, Midori-san," She chimes. "We...we set off while you were still asleep. The rain had already stopped, but we couldn't wake you up then, so we decided to go ahead. We didn't want to leave you behind, though, so...um...." She gestures with a free hand towards you, cheeks reddening.

If Souji can't and/or won't go inside the barrier, Big Pete may also be a convenient way to transport people to and from the barrier. If the wrist transponder gets broken, it might be possible for two or three people to pilot Big Pete and transport with him.

You find yourself paling at your sempai's words, and it's with your cheeks positively burning that you all but hop off her back, nearly stumbling in the process of getting your legs back underneath you. S-she should be ashamed, you blurt out in an embarrassed stammer. You've never touched the stuff, and you will never as long as you live! Besides, you're not heavier, you're just more well-endowed--

You manage to slap a hand over your mouth moments before you could say anything more humiliating. The party, as it is, had already stopped in its tracks, with Malal looking on in quiet silence, and Mirai hiding a smile behind a gloved hand. Even the armored fragment was smiling, showing too many teeth in a scarred grin that almost looks cute.

"No argument about that," Chiaki chuckles. "Checked it myself, after all. I hope you didn't mind. You were sleeping then, and I was curious."

...Wait, what? She checked...?

She nods. "Well, the me before did. At the base. After Mirai. Our room." She pauses for a moment, grinning. "Just like Mami-san, right?" She turns towards the armored fragment, who nods.

"Bigger," She lets out in a rumbling avalanche of syllables. "Softer."

Despite your mounting embarrassment, you manage - just barely - to ask Chiaki about her remembering. When you came upon her at the restaurant, she barely remembered you, didn't she...?

"Things are starting to trickle in, I think. Some are coming up. Like how you remember dreams. Pieces, all of 'em jumbled up." The girl you consider your sempai smiles again, awkward this time. "I think I might've been a bit too harsh to you, back then. I'm sorry. I think I'm still...hung up on Iori at that point."

It's then that you feel a tug on your sleeve. You turn, and look at a nearly tearful Homura.

"M-Midori-san? Do I...do I really turn out to be that much of a pervert...?"

Dammit Decu, why must you be so dedicated? Here I thought I'd have plenty of time this week to do other things because of your computer troubles, and wouldn't you know it I pop on for a quick check before bed to find a new MGNQ thread anyway.

Now I'll have to catch up in the archives tomorrow during class. Thanks a lot.

>>22909079Just once, I'd like to see those options actually give nothing but tears and frustration.Anons choose them for HUEHUEHUE, but get nothing but a punch to the gut and a knee to the teeth.No laughs, no lolz, just a senseless, meaningless, quick and undramatic death.

A...a pervert? N-no, not a pervert. Just...honest, you manage to reassure the distraught fragment of your sempai's shattered psyche. Someone honest and not that all concerned about what people may think of her. Yes. That's it.

Besides, you've only seen her read a single book of debatable repute, but that's more due to the subject material than anything. A-and at least she doesn't know about the anime, right...?

"A-anime...?" Homura looks up at you tearfully. "What anime...?"

LET'S GET GOING! YES. You need to get going. Fourth fragment and all that. You shouldn't be dilly-dallying like this!

"We know," Chiaki chuckles again as the party once more continues on its way, with you and your sempai at the center of the loose formation. "Um. Well. We may be a bit angry and disappointed at you, but it's more flattering than anything. Just don't bring up when we're drinking." She pauses. "Oh, and probably stop us from drinking so much, too."

You'll...you'll try your best. Yes.

"Thanks." The smile, again, and you can't help but...want so badly to take this particular fragment home with you. Somehow. Wishing that she'd stay like this when you finally get her out of here. "You're...someone special, Midori. Please stay with us until the end."

The skies above you turn darker as you and your group finally make your way out of Mitakihara. The road ends and turns into what looks like a well-beaten path, up to a grassy hill - and the moment you take the first step into the path that all sound seems to disappear. A funereal silence blanketing everything, muffling it.

You look forward and see the graves in the horizon. Jutting out of the grassy ground like broken teeth. Some of them shattered, some of them rendered unrecognizable by weather and time, others seemingly just erected moments before. Beyond them lie actual mausoleums, housed graves, clustered around each other like low-income housing.

The roar of chainaxe motors cuts her off, the mechanical growl making every one in your group reach for their weapons. You found your hand straying to the Teleport Beacon on your wrist, thumb nearly pressing down on the button that would summon a spiked giant with a really big hammer.

"Idiot's still here," The Culexus grumbles underneath her breath, as the roar idles into silence. "No one attack her when you see her. She's mine."

"No," The armored berserker growls in reply. "Mine."

"Don't you be an idiot, too," Malal snaps back. "You've got the rest to worry about. Everyone else protects Midori until we can take the last one down."

>>22909561I'm with the others on getting on the call with Souji and figuring out a plan.The "tell him you're choosing a worthless death inside a Witch Barrier over their love" tactic only works once, after all.

You shake your head at this, before calling Souji up once more with the Teleport Beacon. Trying your best to keep your voice in a reasonable level as your ragtag party continues to venture deeper into a mass graveyard. The air so thick with the promise of an abrupt, violent death that you couldn't help but hold your breath.

"Midori? What's going on?" Souji's voice is nearly unintelligible from the static rasping all coherence from his words, but you manage to understand him all the same. "Do you need Tiny Pete now? He's been ready three hours ago. Set for maximum fear and awe. Misaka's spent the entire morning fitting him with this huge autocannon--"

Right, well, that's good to know. That's very good. And you'll be sending for him soon enough. But you may be facing Kharn again, and you're not sure how to get to her this time. You doubt a couple of slaps and some harshly-worded advice will work a second time.

"...No, it won't. If I know Kharn, she'll be smarting right now, and she'll want to get back at you the one way she knows how. Pride thing." A sigh. "You want me to get in there with you, right? I can...I can do that, sure. Tiny Pete can take one passenger. His controls aren't too complicated, actually, even Misaka could--"

He's babbling. You cut him off before he could go on. "S-sorry. Yeah. Um. Right. I can do that."

He does realize, though, what happens to normal people when they're stuck inside a Nightmare?

"I do. That doesn't matter." He chuckles, lamely. "I shouldn't have bought into that sacrificial bullshit Kharn fed me. She's getting out of there even if it kills me." A moment. "We're getting married right away if we survive this. I don't care what she says."

"I heard that." Souji laughs. "A-anyway. Er. Anything else you want, Midori? I could--" It's then that his words seem to cut short. "...Holy shit, where the fuck are you? You've just disappeared off the radar. The beacon's active, but it's telling me that you're dead. Gone. Wiped off the face of--"

If he's trying to scare you, then he's not doing a very good job of it.

"N-no, I'm not! Christ, I'm not--"

You tell him to just get ready as soon as you need him. You kill the connection, and you turn to see Malal nodding at you, seemingly impressed.

"He'll be handy once we're in the thick of it," The Culexus replies. "Summon whatever Tiny Pete is, get him to grab Kharn and then port out of this mess. That leaves us with one less idiot to worry about."

That's the plan, you reply, before transforming again in a brief flash of light. Your costume once more replacing your clothes, falling into place. The arm dagger resting heavily on your arm in its leather housing, its blade snapping out when you make a fist with your hand.

The path leads you into a clearing. A wide clearing, almost arena-like, surrounded by a ring of prominent black gravestones. Twenty of them, each marked with a roman numeral in golden lettering. No names, just numbers.

And in front of those gravestones - Magical Girls. But silhouettes of them, completely black, from their faces to their clothes. Shadows transposed into reality. Each one of them grasping a golden weapon, the only offset to their forms. One of them, seemingly wearing something with too many frills, holds two golden scythes in both hands. The shadow next to her holding two golden revolvers. Another, a tall, well-armored form, is holding a large golden hammer, easily bigger than Tiny Pete's. A pair of massive gauntlets. A katana. A broadsword.

And at the very center of it - at the very center of the clearing - stands your sempai, but as you've never seen her before.

A flawless costume, untouched by dirt or grime, nor sporting the usual bloodstains you sometimes had to point out to your sempai or else she wouldn't even notice them.

Skin smooth and perfect, unscarred, unmarked by injury or abuse.

Eyes devoid of corruption, a cool clean purple, hard as shards of amethyst.

Black hair, long and straight, spreading out behind her like two backswept raven wings, in subdued mimicry of...well, her real wings. Angel's wings. With golden feathers that shone with such ferocity that they were almost blinding.

And her shield. Unscarred, whole. And also made with the same gold that armed the shadows around you, that sprouted from her back in two massive feathered projections.

Kharn is...well, Kharn is there, too. But as a ruined, bleeding thing. Facedown in the dirt, in a rapidly-expanding pool of her own blood. Her chainaxes on either side of her, inactive, dead. Her severed arm - torn directly from the shoulder - is still holding onto Gorefather, the black fleshmetal fingers still locked around the handle.

"Kharn." Malal whispers through her ruined vox. "You fucking idiot."

"She's still alive, but not for long." The fourth fragment says, her voice barely above a murmur, but still managing to carry. "She tried to live up to her name one last time. Useless thing."

A ripple of movement courses through the three fragments, as if in sympathy. The armored one narrows her eyes, a leopard-wet growl rumbling in her throat.

"Thank you for bringing them all here, Midori." It's then that Chiaki - no, Akemi Homura - gives you a smile - a cold smile, a murderer's smile. One that never even reached her eyes. "It makes it easier to dispose of them, this way. I apologize if I had to make you go through the trouble of herding them all into one place."

>>22911231"You're a crazy bitch, you're outnumbered like eight to one, and you're not even real. Now shut up and get in the murderface voltron, or I swear on your pretty little wings we'll goddamn make you."

If there is anything I have learned in my travels across the barriers, it is that many things may change the nature of a magical girl. Whether regret, or love, or revenge, or fear - whatever you believe can change the nature of a man, can. I’ve seen belief move agencies, make magical girls stave off death, and turn an insane-with-grief fragment's heart half-circle. This entire barrier has been constructed from belief. Belief damned a girl, whose heart clung to the hope that another loved her when she departed for the stars. Once, it made a girl seek godhood and achieve it. And it has made a posturing fragment think it is something more than a part of sempai.

>>22911268I actually like this. It feels right, and it shows just how much murderface has rubbed off on Midori. Green Greens is going to die no matter what at this point, so we might as well trip the mother of all death flags. Show genuine character growth from mediocre meguca with a fangirl obsession to somebody who can stand on equal footing with the object of said obsession.

Midori has to die at that point, because there's nowhere else for her character to grow

What though our eyes with tears be wet?The sunrise never failed us yet.The blush of dawn may yet restoreOur light and hope and joy once more.Sad soul, take comfort, nor forgetThat sunrise never failed us yet!

"Why? Why all this? For what purpose? You are the original, right..Akemi Homura? It`s your fault for what happened to the Madoka-Girl, isnt it? She told me that herself.. in one of her more sane moments. Why would you go so far just to hurt her?"

>>22911996I agree that 'Get fucked' is pretty out of character, but 'I'm going to give you your happy ending whether you like it or not' seems reasonably in-character for Midori trying to act pluckier and less terrified than she is.

>>22911996Are we doing this? Is this happening?>I don't see how [stoic determination in the face of seemingly suicidal odds] fits Midori's character.Putting aside that time she slapped Kharn the Betrayer in full on murder mode, or when she held on to Chiaki during a Flesh of Fallen Angels episode (while getting carved up for her trouble).

While we're at it, out to ruin "everyone's" fun. Responses. Midori's character, with a lower-case C. No need for a `, or even a ', for that matter, in "BadEnded," which should probably be two words. You fail to see many things.

In light of that, let me clear something up: I cast the vote for saying "you're getting a happy ending whether you like it or not," and I didn't cast it with the intent to ruin MGNQ or everyone's fun. I cast it because I felt it was in Midori's character, appropriate to the moment, appropriate to the setting, appropriate to the story.

>>22911996As someone who hasn't voted yet, I would like you to think of it this way, and keep "And Miracle Midori doesn't back down." in mind.

Midori loves Homura. Even though she knows she can and will never, ever have her love returns. Right now, she is facing Homuras darkest parts, and has already tripped ALL of the death flags. Right now, Miracle Midori needs to fucking shine as brightly as possible, because otherwise, the one she cares about so much will end up completely offing herself. It's Do or Die, right now.

On the subject of voting: Midori has illusion powers, yeah? Might want to start thinking about using them extremely subtly, to the point where nobody notices they are being used. Or at least, make sure RibbonHomu doesn't notice until it's too late.

>>22912076>Bitchslapping Kharn after being tired, out of fucks to give and because we habe to deal with shit just because she acted retarded again>Somehow that is supposed to be the same Situation we`re in now, so Midori should act the same.

>>22912139They're pretty comparable, bro. And she doesn't care NEARLY as much about saving Kharn, so I'd say it's logical to assume she's only going to be MORE retardedly steadfast now that it's her waifu.

>>22912139You're missing the point. You have every right to disagree with me. You could believe with all your heart the one true path through this problem is Midori taking a scrunchie out of her hair and flicking it menacingly at Ribbon Homura. You can vote for it, defend it to the last, fight tooth and nail to say your vote is the best vote ever.

But the moment you start telling me I'm trying to ruin the story by voting for what I believe is best, you're just being an asshole. This is the point: We can disagree. We can disagree vehemently. That doesn't mean I'm trying to run the story into the ground.

You have also missed the v key for "have." And in that context, situation is lowercase.

"Get fucked." You spit into her face, and everything went to hell right then and there.

No arguments. No negotiations. No speeches.

None of those. She'd made her case clear enough, leaving Kharn there for you to find. For you to see. For her to die slowly, face down in the dirt, with her weapons just barely out of reach. Your sempai - your real sempai - would have killed Kharn outright. It wouldn't have been a clean death, but it was a quick one, a good one. She'd never prolong it just to make a point.

You wanted to ask her why - why she needed to resort to such murder, such callous disregard for life - but the question died in your throat as you saw the utterly heartless, soulless conviction in her eyes. No spark of hope or warmth left in this fragment. Not even despair. Only a hatred, as pure and as cold as sharpened steel, honed into weaponized malice. A determination that didn't so much as burn but blazed, burning everything else in sight. No mercy. No kindness. Not even the merest illusion of her former self.

This was your sempai, twisted into something...despicable. Terribly beautiful, breathtaking in her elegance and grace, but coldly inhuman. Not even the armored fragment was this much of a monster.

It was here, then, mere moments after you've spat the acid-laced epithet, that the shadows moved from their graves. Each one lifting their weapons of golden murderous insanity and stepping forward, their purpose obvious.

The fourth fragment simply smirking as she stepped back from Kharn - and wings flaring, turned around to leave. But not after saying something that echoed in your ears, despite how she only murmured them in a breathy whisper. Something that made the other members of your ragtag party form up around you, weapons drawn, teeth bared, each one ready to murder.

"Kill them," she'd said, in a voice with the patience and calmness of a saint. "Kill them all."

You've never been in a full-out, mass engagement. The ill-fated encounter with Mirai, that was the first time you've even gotten into a firefight of that magnitude. And it was you, your sempai, and Kharn against Mirai and her familiars. Nothing compared to this in scale or in ferocity.

An explosion of concussive force. The roar of the armored fragment, loud, wet, and hungry. Malal screeching from her vox-speaker as the lines of her suit glowed a flickering crimson, filling the air with a teeth-itching whine, nearly drowning out the gunfire. More roars, bestial and deep, the death-scent of the graveyard briefly muffled by the smell of wet fur, anger, and blood. Mirai and her bears, each one chained to her will, driven by her own anger. Driven by her own hate.

The Teleport Beacon chiming that Tiny Pete was on his way.

You would have heard all of this, if you hadn't been screaming Chiaki's name as you yourself charged forward.

Towards that last piece of your fragmented sempai's psyche. Wanting no more to punch that arrogant smirk off her face, and get her to see sense, get her to see what kind of madness she herself had wrought.

It's then that something smashes into your side - the crunch of your ribs all too obvious above your racing heartbeat - and you hear Homura scream your name as everything goes dark once more. Your senses leaving you - first sight, then sound, then everything else.

You tried, right? You tried your best. Maybe it wasn't meant to work out. Maybe...maybe someone else will pick up where you left off. Surely they can't just leave your sempai there, can they? They can't.

You feel tears pricking at your eyes, but you can't even lift your hands up to wipe them away.

You can't even shout for help. For someone to help your sempai. To save her from herself.

And it's then that you hear it. In the inky blackness, you hear a voice.

Uh, guys? As nice as Madoka swooping in and saving the day might be, I'm not terribly certain that calling her in is actually going to improve the situation. Sure she's been relatively friendly with Midori so far, but she’s also not particularly stable. And she is behind the whole golden weapons thing in the first place...

>>22912518And my hopes of trying to get some Info out of the last fragment.

[x] Try to will yourself into opening your eyes and and least trying to get up

You are Miracle Midori, you are here to save your sempai. You can`t die until you`ve at least saved her, so don`t cry! Try to get up, for fucks sake! You can be dead all the fuck you want after we have done our job!

"Its never to late to try to make things right, Madoka. Help me, so I can help Sempai help you. I don`t know what happened to you, but there must be a way to make things right! To save you, to save Mirai and to save Chiaki and Homura!"

>>22912643You are wrong! It doesn`t matter if we`re dieing already, it doesn`t matter if we`re in the middle of a fucking battle, it doesn`t matter if we survive this, but we have to at least try to get up so the other fragments and our friends don`t get distracted by a dying Midori!

This would be the most horrible thing to happen right now, to loose, just because we are dying! This is not an option right now!

>>22912710I'm not saying 'ask for help, and then die'. I'm saying we should focus on practical things first and foremost.

Frankly I agree that we should be trying to work our illusion mojo while we call for Madoka's help, at least so we can FIND a way to be more helpful in the fight. But just going 'Ouendan! Ouendan! Ouendan!' and hoping Midori will suddenly become a combat badass isn't going to do much.

>>22912651Yeah, this. Midori is a magical girl. She is a posthuman Witch-killing machine with no particular need for most of what we would consider vital organs. A couple cracked ribs shouldn’t be keeping her down.

The darkness is getting heavier, just as you feel yourself growing colder and colder by the moment. Your breath leaving your body in ever-shortening gasps. You're dying, that much is clear. But you force what is left inside of you into that one last plea for help, putting everything in that last burning, searing pulse. Hoping that Madoka would be able to hear it, wherever she was.

+ PLEASE HELP ME HELP SEMPAI +

And the moment you let it loose is the moment that the darkness is interrupted by a single orb of light. Warming you against the cold, banishing the inky blackness away.

The orb takes a shape. Formless for a few moments, nebulous. Before solidifying into the familiar form of Kaname Madoka - her gloved fingers bloody, along with the front of her dress. But where her eyes was once a sharklike black, from pupil to sclera - they were now amber, the color of honey. A soft, saintly smile curling her lips as she carefully takes your hands and pulls you up into a sitting position.

"This...this is one of my good moments," She says, each word whispered but reaching your deafened ears clear as a bell. "It won't last. But we can save her. We can save everyone."

It's then that she lets go of your hand to draw her own up, palm skyward. Your own crimson Soul Gem, slightly darkened, manifesting there with a small chiming sound.

"I'll...I'll need to borrow this for just a few seconds." You look at her, and she's crying. You briefly wonder why, before it dawns on you. And strangely enough, you don't...mind too much.

>The Last Will and Testament of Hanegawa Midori>"...and to Chiaki-sempai, I leave the full set of signed Miracle Midori doujins I had waiting in my apartment. I also leave to her the title of Green Green, the works of which she may continue or discontinue as she pleases.I'm really sorry about the anime, sempai."

>>22913327The posts you pointed out were the ones asking Madoka for help after we got our asses thoroughly plowed, so I hope you understand my confusion here.

Either way, not doing the one thing Midori was there for, that nobody else could do - that is to say, not even trying to talk her down - was undeniably retarded, yep, and we definitely should have jumped on the illusion train. Maybe this is salvageable, though.

>>22913348Eh, I started with the "Get Fucked" votes and just kept going through the ones that felt like "Lol I give up lets go full speed for the Midori Bad End without even trying to work with what we have."

>>22913388That's a legitimate opinion, although I don't necessarily believe that 'Oh shit we can't do this, let's ask our god buddy' is a poorly-thought-out reaction.

>>22913395It was the attitude we established toward the whole thing by giving Midori a...well, wildly out-of-character line to start with. Decu had to write a reason for Midori to act that violently and that was the logical extension of it.

Plus, she didn't want Ribbon Homura getting to just walk away, so they'd all have to hunt her down again.

>>22913439>>22913460>>22913473Seriously, he's actually way too nice for that. Like, you just want to pat him on the head and go "It's okay, don't worry" he's so damn nice. It's almost funny really, he gets all worked up about stuff like his art or taking commissions.

>>22913655>Ah, no, but I've always left drawing Midori to the person I based her on! :DOh, well that's->left drawing Midori to the person I based her on>to the person I based her on>the person I based her onWait... what?

>Start reading MGNQ right at the beginning>Be the one who propsed to sent Coobie the dickbutt-picture>Favourite character is Mami>Be completly annoyed by Iori>Be completly annoyed by Pinky>Be completly annoyed by Midori>Be completly annoyed by Kharn>Midori stops acting like Iori 2.0>Shows that its more than "just a crush because Murderface saved her">Slowly but surely grow fond of her>Midori hugs Murderface into soundness of mind>Not a fan of shipping but start to hope that Midori will at least get to spend a night with Chiaki because she clearly deserves>Start to outright like her after Murderface loses her memories and she acts like a true friend and not using Chiakis lost memories to get closer to her>Barrier happens>Midori takes levels in Badassery and lives up to the image of Miracle Midori>Midori is best character now, cross my fingers for her and Chiakis happy end>She dies because of people who voted for mingboggingly retarded actions

Well, this quest is over for me. Ruined by Dontes who voted for "get fucked" and got the character killed.

Sorry, Decu, I don`t even feel like continuing reading this quest. I liked it very much and I like your writing but the people in this thread just managed to kill all the fun through outright stupid votes.

Also:>Some anon calls out the people on voting stupid shit>NO ANON STOP ASSUMING THAT THIS IS ONLY YOUR FUN

>>22913824I'm really sorry if you feel that way. I would really like it if you stayed, but I won't insist, because you have your reasons! Please accept all my thanks for staying with me up to this point. It's because of everyone that I'm still running MGNQ.

I wish we could have been together until the ending, but that's life! Good luck in whatever you do, sir/ma'am, and you have my thanks!

>>22913892It's Noir. I expected this might happen but that doesn't mean it hurts any less. Much like how Mona died in the end, just because they're playable for their segment doesn't give them immunity throughout the entire experience. Although... If we CAN brighten up the place a bit, I'm hoping for what >>22913791 suggested.

>>22913956Why don't you just see how you feel when the next MGNQ pops up? You clearly care enough to leave this thread open even after saying you were quitting MGNQ forever. One character maybe (probably) dying should not be enough of a reason to abandon a story.

>>22913892Ah, thank you. I wish you also the best. I am looking forward to your next quest.

I really enjoyed this quest so far and I think that your style of writing, describing things and incorporting our often stupid decisions in a very neutral way that managed to call down both parties usully is a rare talent that you have.

I think I also admire your patience with the people who read your quest and argue about the weirdest things, so.. well. I think I still want to know how things will turn out with this arc, but I just don`t feell like it since my favourite character died like that.

Anyway, sorry for the tl;dr, but I just wanted to make sure that I don`t blame you or think that this quest is bad or anything.

>Draws half of the Midori pictures, leaves one before going to work.>Get back from work and you goons killed Midori off in the meantime>My face when my last picture of Midori when she was alive was rushed and not that good

We don't actually know what Madoka is planning to do. But from gauging her reaction, it's likely not going to be real good for Midori's soul gem. If it is indeed some sort of grief-transfer process, then perhaps some of the other people can still save her if they remember the grief seeds that Midori was carrying, if she doesn't witch out right then and there.

Well I think this is kind of fitting after so many trials and tribulations, we have done well to survive this far and minority was originally a bad guy of the week, so she went beyond it and yes while she may die it is also noted that some people wanted more noir, and while this is bitter it kind of make sense. Though I agree going get fucked was extremely stupid but who knows there is a chance of her surviving maybe?

Some speculation on the despair transfer, if that is what Madoka has in mind:

If Chiaki still has the link to Wally from the procedure, it may be possible for her to try to siphon off any corruption from Midori's soul gem and reroute it. If what Kharn said earlier about soul gem attunement still holds, this may not be so crazy of an option, if the merging can occur quickly enough.